30 Days of No-Bake Desserts
Have you ever wanted to indulge in a rich, sweet, homemade dessert without ever turning on your oven? Whether or not you have this desire, we can almost guarantee you will love the ease and convenience of no-bake desserts. Especially in the summer, there is a certain luxury to avoiding the use of your hot oven (we know, some recipes here involve simmering things on the stove, but come on, the heat is nothing compared to a 350°F oven). Plus, you'll be amazed by all of the delicious creations you can produce without baking a single thing.
Here, we've gathered 30 super easy, no-bake dessert recipes that you can make 30 days in a row (if you want, no pressure). From air fryer cheesecake to peanut butter chai pie and raspberry-hibiscus sorbet, these seemingly complex desserts are all made easily and without your oven. You may not believe us, so we implore you to test them out. You definitely will not regret it. — Morgan Goldberg
Lemony Sumac Pie with Ritz Cracker Crust
Chef Paola Velez loves making crumb crusts for no-bake pies during the hot summer months. Here she uses Ritz cracker crumbs as a salty, buttery foil to a tangy lemon and sumac curd filling. Sumac, a tart spice that adds floral aroma and pops of red color, backs up fresh lemon juice in this sweet and sour filling.
Air Fryer Basque Cheesecake
We use an air fryer to whip up a quick version of a Basque cheesecake. Evenly browned with a creamy, silky, smooth center, this cheesecake boasts just the right amount of sweetness to contrast the bitter burnt top. Drizzling honey on top of the cake after baking adds an extra layer of warm sweetness, making this dessert feel that much more decadent.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Matzo Cake
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This rich matzo cake layers espresso liqueur-soaked matzo with melted chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. If you prefer to lighten the alcohol, reduce the liqueur by half and replace that volume with water or brewed espresso. Feel free to switch up the liqueur in this recipe with rum, cognac, or sherry.
Honey-Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries
This velvety-smooth, berry-topped mousse requires very little time to make — it comes together in just 15 minutes, then needs just an hour in the refrigerator to firm up. Ricotta cheese, quickly whipped in a food processor with honey and vanilla, forms the base of the mousse. Folding whipped cream into the ricotta yields a luscious, velvety dessert.
Banana Pudding Paletas
For this dreamy treat, pastry chef Paola Velez takes all the components you love about classic banana pudding — complete with vanilla wafers — and turns them into creamy paletas. With nutty browned butter, bits of banana, and crushed vanilla wafers held together by pudding, this refreshing dessert will keep you coming back for more. For a grown-up version, add a splash of bourbon.
No-Bake Peaches and Cream Cheesecake
With a perfect graham cracker crust and two layers of peach puree, this no-bake dessert from F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple is a hit. The ideal ratio of cream cheese to ricotta gives the cake an extra-creamy texture.
Cannoli
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Cannoli, a crisp and creamy Italian dessert with origins in Sicily, is made of pastry dough that has been molded into a tube and fried until crispy. The fried pastry is filled with orange-scented mascarpone and ricotta cheese filling and then dipped in chopped chocolate or pistachio.
Chocolate-Raspberry Icebox Cake
This Chocolate-Raspberry Icebox Cake is creamy, it's dreamy, and it's so simple to make. Crushed cookies, fresh raspberries, and layers of tart raspberry sorbet and velvety vanilla ice cream transform into a gorgeous marbled layer cake in about 15 minutes — no frosting required.
Mini Mangonada Floats
Mango float, or mango royale, is a beloved Filipino icebox cake that consists of layers of graham crackers, sweetened whipped cream, and fresh mango. For a twist, Abi Balingit of The Dusky Kitchen wanted to combine the spicy and tangy flavors of one of her favorite summertime desserts, Mexican mangonadas, with this Filipino classic.
Dark Chocolate Bark with Roasted Almonds and Seeds
Julia Hartbeck
This rich, dark chocolate bark is just what you need when you have a craving. "I'm more addicted to chocolate than I am to sugar," says chocolatier Jacques Torres. A small piece of this super-chunky dark chocolate bark staves off his intense cravings. Plus, it takes only 30 minutes to make.
Banana Challah Fritters With Sweet Tahini Sauce
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Banana Challah FrittersCrispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these Banana Challah Fritters are like fried banana pudding, but even better. As is the case with most banana desserts, starting with overripe bananas will give you the best banana flavor; this is a great way to use those bananas that are just about to be tossed out.
Peanut Butter Chai-Spiced Pie
Peanut butter and cream cheese are whipped into an airy cloud and folded together with aromatic chai-spiced whipped cream in this dreamy and truly effortless pie. Naturally sweetened with honey, the nutty filling is packed with spices inspired by a warming cup of chai. This pie can be prepared in any crust of your choice.
Classic Vanilla Pudding
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe
Creamy and delicious, this egg-free vanilla pudding recipe is far superior to store-bought and is just as easy to make. Using both a vanilla bean and vanilla extract gives this pudding a deeper vanilla flavor.
Candied Almond Affogato
This Italian dessert is simplicity at its finest — all you need to make it is a scoop or two of gelato and a shot of hot espresso. Here, we've added almond liqueur to the mix for a little extra flair, plus candied almonds and crushed amaretti cookies for some crunch. The elegant treat comes together in just a few minutes, making it an easy and impressive option for entertaining.
Saffron, Pistachio, and Rose Petal Helva
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
This Turkish semolina pudding is scented with saffron and cardamom and dotted with butter-toasted pistachios for a bit of crunch. A scattering of edible dried rose petals makes the dessert stand out.
Farmer’s Cheesecake with Strawberries
For this elegant, no-bake cheesecake, chef Nicolaus Balla ferments his own farmer’s cheese (a kind of cottage cheese). Ricotta mixed with cream cheese makes a delicious substitute for the filling, which is incredibly light, delicately sweet, and wonderful inside the crumbly graham cracker crust. This summer dessert is perfect for your warm-weather dinner party.
No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
You’ll love how just a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes of work can yield a rich, creamy delicious ice cream. This is a great dessert to make for a get-together if you don’t have a lot of time and don’t have an ice cream maker. This no-churn ice cream is super chocolatey, with a light texture similar to chocolate mousse. The chopped chocolate mixed throughout the ice cream adds even more flavor and a crunchy texture.
Caramel Pear Cheesecake Trifle
© Chris Court
While the concept of a trifle may eternally remind us of Rachel's meat and whipped cream iteration on Friends, we have concocted a delicious version that may rival that memory. This decadent pear and caramel trifle is perfect for a party because it can be made a day ahead and it serves a crowd.
Raspberry-Hibiscus Sorbet
This sorbet by chef and ice cream maker Fany Gerson has a creamy texture thanks to the addition of corn syrup or honey, which increases the sugar content and helps make the final product richer, less icy, and more scoopable. Bright and airy, with the perfect balance of creamy and tart from the raspberries and just the right amount of a floral hit from the hibiscus, this is a super-refreshing summertime treat.
Crêpes Suzette
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Chef Jacques Pépin’s key to making crêpes Suzette for a crowd is preparing the orange butter sauce in advance. You can then flambé the liquor and pour the sauce over the crêpes, serving the dessert right away.
Chocolate Panna Cotta with Spiced Pepita Brittle
This light, silky panna cotta tastes a lot like hot cocoa in custard form. The brittle is easy to make; heat sugar and water on the stove, swirl in butter and spiced pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), then let cool. The panna cottas can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The pepita brittle can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cherries Poached in Red Wine with Mascarpone Cream
The classic combination of fruit and cheese is an age-old pairing that will always be delicious. Thick mascarpone cheese mixed with honey makes a luscious topping for poached summer cherries. You can serve the dessert either warm or cold. Honestly, you cannot go wrong. We love it both ways.
Zabaglione with Strawberries
An Italian dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine, zabaglione is a no-bake dessert that can be served hot. Here we serve the zabaglione hot when it's just made, but if you want to prepare the dish ahead of time, mix the zabaglione with whipped cream and refrigerate it as described in the first variation.
No-Bake Chocolate Custard
Our absolute favorite thing about this easy, no-bake chocolate custard is that it takes just 20 minutes to make and can be eaten right away at room temperature. This super-silky, chocolatey dessert is also delicious when chilled. It just depends on how long you can wait before you devour it.
Triple-Cheese Cheesecake with Amaretti Crust
This is one of the most beautiful cheesecakes you will ever make and it requires absolutely zero minutes of baking. This killer cheesecake has an ethereally light, creamy texture and fantastic crunchy crust made from honey graham crackers and amaretti cookies. Serve this to impress guests at your next dinner party and you definitely won't regret it.
Creamy Rose Panna Cotta
This luxurious panna cotta is so special because of one key ingredient: Italian rose syrup, which provides a lovely, delicate floral flavor. Imported Italian rose syrup, which can be found at specialty food stores, is the best choice. We like Organic Rose Syrup (Sciroppo di Rose), produced by Azienda Agricola Magliano.
Concord Grape Granita
This icy dessert gets its sweet, tangy taste from Concord grape juice, which has three times the antioxidant power of orange and grapefruit juices. We imagine ourselves cooling down and eating it by the pool, under some palm trees, on a very hot day. Can't you just picture it? We can.
Over-the-Top Ice Cream Sundaes with Homemade Caramel
Fully loaded with creamy fudge, salty pretzels, crunchy toffee, and chewy, bittersweet candied lemon peel, this over-the-top sundae gets drenched in homemade caramel sauce for a grown-up take on a nostalgic childhood treat served at chef Dan Kluger's Loring Place in New York City.
Lemony Layered Cheesecake
This citrusy cheesecake is the perfect make-ahead dish for entertaining because it requires eight full hours of chilling. Luckily, it only takes 20 active minutes to put together. The smart trick here is using prepared ingredients to compose this tangy icebox cake. It truly takes barely any effort at all.
Ice Cream Bonbons
At the Penny Ice Creamery in Santa Cruz, California, Kendra Baker uses caramel ice cream in her bonbons, which have a silky chocolate shell and flaky sea salt on top. They are a perfect, chocolaty snack and look super impressive. You can use whatever kind of ice cream you like!
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